


Tolerate It

by songtoyou



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempted Sexual Assault, BDSM, Eventual Smut, F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Oral Sex, Recreational Drug Use, Romance, Rough Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:28:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29101026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songtoyou/pseuds/songtoyou
Summary: Tommy Shelby is the owner and CEO of Shelby Company Limited. Starting out as a Bookmaker, Tommy had big ideas to expand his riches. In the past ten years, the company has grown rapidly to expand its business ventures from bars to producing alcohol, manufacturing motor vehicle parts, and exporting. One of the richest men in Great Britain, Tommy Shelby, has it all. Unfortunately, the death of his wife, Grace, left the multi-millionaire mogul alone and depressed. He needed someone to fulfill his needs and deepest darkest desires.
Relationships: Alfie Solomons/Original Female Character(s), Tommy Shelby/Original Character(s), Tommy Shelby/Original Female Character(s), modern Tommy Shelby x OC
Comments: 32
Kudos: 52





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I have fallen in love with Tommy Shelby. He is one of the most interesting and complex television I have seen in a long time. He is fascinating. So much so that I needed to write about him. This fic is a take on a modern version of Tommy Shelby and the Peaky Blinders. Also, this fic does include an original character, which will be one of the main characters.
> 
> Note: Italics represent the past or past conversations.
> 
> Feedback is wonderful. It is nice knowing if people actually like this fic.  
> I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.

Control. That is all Thomas ‘Tommy’ Shelby wanted in life. Absolute control. He would do anything to get it. Anything to maintain it.

His need to control everything only heightened after the death of his wife, Grace. Her passing was sudden that left everyone in the Shelby and Burgess family shocked and devastated. The cancer diagnosis crept up on Grace. Tommy sought out every cancer doctor across the world to assist Grace in her recovery. Money was no issue to him when it came to curing his beloved wife. Despite all of the treatments and surgeries, her cancer continued to spread throughout her body. 

When the doctors’ told Grace and Tommy that she did not have much time left, both were left at a standstill. Neither planned for this…at least not yet. They were still a young married couple with a young child. The last thing Grace wanted to do was leave her child, Charlie, motherless and her husband a widow. However, she did her best to maintain a brave front for the two most important men in her life. Grace worked with Tommy’s sister, Ada, to get everything prepared from the funeral to her will in testaments and other necessary items to close up. 

Grace wanted everything ready for when the time came. Unfortunately, no matter how much she prepared for her death, she knew that nothing would fill the void that was going to be left in her absence. Her main worry was not herself but her husband and child. She worried how both would cope with her no longer being around.

She already knew Tommy would busy himself with work to keep his mind occupied. That is what he does when he wants to avoid the bigger issues in his life.

_“Thomas, please promise me that you won’t be an absentee father to Charlie. Promise me that you will make time for him…he needs you more than ever, especially after…”_

_“Stop,” Tommy interrupted Grace. The last thing he wanted was to talk about life without Grace. He was already in the denial stage of grief. A tiny part of him hoped Grace would magically recover. It was the one thing he prayed for at night as she lay in his arms._

_He looked at Grace... he really looked at her. She was so thin and pale. Her cheekbones more pronounce. Her once blonde tendrils were no replaced with a cropped pixie style once her hair grew back. But her eyes were still radiant._

_To Tommy, Grace was still the most beautiful woman in the world. She always would be. She was his angel. And he hated that he was going to lose his earth angel._

_“I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to talk about…about your dying. I…I can’t do it,” he said to Grace. He did his best to hold his composure, but his strong exterior was crumbling._

_Grace reached for Tommy’s hand to comfort him and say, “Yes, you can, Thomas. You will do it because Charlie needs you. I know you won’t let him down as your father let you down. But you need to make sure that you don’t let the voices in her head get in your way of being the amazing father I know you are. You can’t control everything, darling. You have to let things go the way they are supposed to go. You will drive yourself mad. Let down your guard, especially with Charlie. Let someone into your heart after I am gone. It is okay to love another, Thomas. You deserve love.”_

_Tommy shook his head to disagree with his wife. “I don’t, though. I’m not a good person, Grace. You know that…my past, present, and future. Nothing is going to change. You are the only one who sees me for me. Can see me for the man I could be if I hadn’t…if I had chosen a different path. No one can match me that way you can. No other woman can compare to you, Grace.”_

_“No, that is true,” Grace teased with a little laugh. “But that is okay. You will find someone that matches you perfectly. Humans are necessarily destined to be with one person in their life. It is important to develop connections with others, albeit friendships or relationships. You can’t close yourself off to the world. It is okay to love another, Thomas. I am telling you it is okay to love another woman when I am gone.”_

_“Is that an order, Mrs. Shelby?” asked Tommy with the smallest of smiles forming on his lips._

_“I want it to be a promise. Promise me, Tommy, please. It is my dying wish.”_

_Placing his forehead to Grace’s, Tommy let out a sigh. He wanted to give Grace everything the world had to offer. No matter the costs, he would give it to her. However, this…this was not something he could give. So, he did the worst thing he could do. He lied to his dying wife._

_“I promise, Grace.”_

_The sad thing, Tommy did not feel much guilt in his lie. He already knew he was destined for Hell. One lie to Grace was not going to change his fate._

While Tommy did not decline himself the pleasures of being in the company of multiple women after Grace’s passing, he did not love any of them. They were merely whores to entertain and keep his mind occupied. The only woman who ever came close to melting his icy heart was Lizzie Stark. He met her one night when he was attending a secret exclusive club that garnered other high-profile members. The club allowed members to fulfill their deepest sexual fantasies (within reason, of course) from role-playing to bondage; it soon found Tommy Shelby to be one of its top members. 

Lizzie was Tommy’s main girl at the club. She was the one to allow Tommy to explore his desire for control and dominance further. Lizzie was the perfect submissive to fulfill his needs. It was not only a sexual connection the two adults had but also an emotional connection. A small part of Tommy knew he could let go of his guard around Lizzie, and there would be no judgment from her or nagging that he needs to change his ways.

Their arrangement lasted two years when Lizzie all of a sudden left the club. She did not even let Tommy know why she left or where she went. The other girls at the club merely said that Lizzie had enough of the life and wanted to leave. 

A part of Tommy wanted to go after Lizzie and demand why she left him; however, he knew it was important to respect her decision. He used his contacts to locate Lizzie because he wanted to make sure she was alive and safe. Tommy sent Lizzie one final payment as a way to thank her for the years of her services and companionship.

He was alone once again.

That was until a new girl came into his life to fulfill his deepest and darkest desires. 


	2. The Pope, The Rabbi, and The Gypsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn about the owners and some of Excelsior's clientele, the secret exclusive club in downtown London. Tommy looks for a new girl now that Lizzie is gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was very pleased with the positive reaction to the prologue of this fic. I am glad that some of you are liking it. For this chapter, we learn a little more about the OC and how she will meet Tommy.
> 
> Note: Italics represent the past or past conversations.
> 
> Feedback is wonderful. It is nice knowing if people actually like this fic. I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.

Excelsior was an exclusive invite-only club located in downtown London. Members included high profile men from actors, musicians, politicians, and business moguls. The activities that occur at Excelsior were top secret. Members and workers at the club were bound by a non-disclosure agreement to ensure nothing was made public. Excelsior was merely a very high-end gentlemen's club to the unassuming public, but underneath, it allowed members to succumb to their deepest desires.

Owned and run by "Duchess" Izabella Petrovna and her niece, "Princess" Tatiana Petrovna, the club was steeped in excess and glamour. No suspecting individual would ever think to confuse the establishment as an underground sex club. While the Duchess ran the business side of the operations, the Princess recruited the women. There was a certain criterion that the Princess enforced when it came to employing. First, the women had to be between the ages of twenty-one to thirty-five. The women underwent an extensive background check, along with a psych evaluation. Many of the employees found it hilarious that the Duchess and Princess required a psych evaluation considering that they themselves were equally eccentric…or insane, to put it mildly. Birth control was a non-negotiable requirement the women had to abide by. The women at the club had to partake in monthly STD tests to ensure they were clean and healthy. 

While the Duchess and Princess were an oddball pairing, there was no denying that they cared for their girls and valued the work they did for the members. Their business endeavor allowed the Petrovna's to continue to live in luxuries that Russia no longer was able to provide. They paid well.

It was how Rose Turner provided a decent life for herself and her son, Louis. Rose had been working at the club for four years and in that time had garnered quite the clientele. However, it would be three men who would have a tumultuous impact on Rose's life. She referred to them as the Pope, the Rabbi, and the Gypsy. 

The Pope was Luca Changretta, an Italian man from New York. Luca was a prominent businessman whose family still resided in England. While Audrey Changretta was a former school teacher, her husband Vincent, and youngest son Angel, owned restaurants and bars from Manchester to Birmingham, to London. They also dabbled in the real estate business and owned numerous high rise apartment buildings. The Changretta family was viewed as a rival to the Shelby clan. Both have tried to partner on business ventures with no deal ever emerging. The two families did not trust one another. 

With Luca stationed over in the States, he would visit his family throughout the year during holidays, for birthdays, weddings, funerals, openings of new Changretta establishments. Time home also allowed for Luca to engage in his pleasures. His visits to Excelsior were always a big deal. Everything had to be perfect, according to Izabella. Tatiana assigned Rose to Luca. 

_"You are his type, no," Tatiana would say. "He likes the way you look. That innocent and doe-eyed look. Hooker with a heart of gold, they say, right."_

Rose did not question Tatiana. She read through Luca's file to find out more about her new client and what he liked. The man was noticeably big into role play, especially in a religious aspect. He loved playing the part of a holy man while Rose played the Catholic school girl or nun. It was how Luca got the nickname, "The Pope." The man thankfully always managed to be a gentleman. He respected the rules of the club and never went overboard. If Rose was uncomfortable with acting out a scene, she knew it was okay to voice her worries. Luca never tried to fight her or manipulate her into partaking in a scene. He respected Rose's boundaries. She was one of his favorites at the club. 

Alfie Solomons was nicknamed "The Rabbi" and another important client at Excelsior. He had his fill of women during his time at the club. So much so that the girls would talk openly with one another about his particular habits. For instance, Alfie never partook in actual intercourse with the women. Instead, he relied on toys such as dildos or vibrators to bring pleasure to his women. He would also make sure to wear black latex gloves while touching the women. Many assumed it was to keep himself clean and pure since he participated in activities that would be deemed excruciatingly unholy. Alfie made sure that Tatiana only gave him gentile women.

_"No Jewish women, love. They are holy creatures and should be remained as such, okay," Alfie demanded._

When Rose saw Alfie for the first time, she was intimidated by his big stature. However, Alfie proved to be one of Rose's favorite clients. The man knew how to pleasure a woman. He always made scenes fun and intense. Some women would even fight over who got to be with Alfie on certain nights he was at the club. They all loved him. 

As the son of a Russian Jewish woman and working-class Londoner father, Alfie worked his way up in the world. It would be the distillery business where Alfie would make his fortunes. From rum and vodka to gin, beer, and cider, Solomons & Sons was the top distillery company in the United Kingdom. It did not take long for the Shelby family came knocking on Alfie's door to partner with on business endeavors. While Alfie would continue to remain skeptical about the Shelby family, he knew the business deal with them would be too good to pass up. He loved having a go at Tommy Shelby from time-to-time to see how far he could push the Birmingham lad. 

In fact, it was Alfie who told Tommy about Excelsior. 

_"You go from whore to whore with no care in the world. It is like you got a death wish. Seriously, don't you ever worry about getting the clap? I'll tell ya what…let me talk with one of my associates about inviting you to join this club I frequent. It will have everything you ever wanted and more. Trust me," Alfie shared with Tommy at one of their business meetings two years ago._

_Tommy merely scoffed as he took a drag of his cigarette. "Trust you. Not likely, Alfie. As I recall, it was because of you that the deal with the Changrettas fell apart. Something about mentioning how my brother John got into a fight with Angel Changretta over a girl they both were seeing at the time."_

_With a shit-eating grin, Alfie replied, "I am a beacon of truth, eh."_

_"More like a pain in my ass," Tommy smirked._

As promised, Alfie talked with Tatiana about inviting Tommy to the club. She was adamant about meeting with the self-made millionaire. The Princess wanted to make sure he was suitable to partake in her establishment. If Tatiana had the ability, she would have kept Tommy all to herself if she could. 

_"None of those whores deserve you, Thomas," said Tatiana as she laid in bed next to him._

_"No, they deserve better. Better than me, that is for sure. But…they are all I got. So, I need your help in finding the best one for me. One that I can take out in public if need be. One who can be presentable to society at certain functions I have to attend. That way, I can keep up the appearance of a family man who still grieves the loss of his wife while trying to move on with my life."_

Lizzie Stark filled that position two years before her sudden and unexpected departure at Excelsior. Now Tatiana had to find a new girl to assign for Tommy, which was no easy task with his certain expectations. The man was rather picky, to say the least. Perusing her girls' files, she realized that there was only one who could meet Tommy Shelby's requests.

" _Rose Turner," announced Tatiana and handed Tommy her file. "She has been with us for a couple of years. She is considered top-quality—good reviews from our top clients. As you can see, she is beautiful, no. She can be elegant if need be for your functions. Adventurous…flexible, if you know what I mean. She'd be perfect for you. What do you think?"_

_Tommy looked over Rose's file. Her birthdate indicated she was in her early thirties and from Blackpool, a seaside resort town on England's Irish Sea coast. It was England's very own Coney Island. Ada took Karl and Charlie there for a weekend getaway not long after Grace died to cheer up her nephew._

_"How many men does she see regularly?" Tommy asked._

_"Rose is considered top quality. Her clientele is small. She has no more than four regulars. One does not live here full-time. He only sees her when he visits family. The others…well, they are people from your circle of business partners."_

_"Is that so. Who would these men be?" Tommy inquired as he continued to look through Rose's file._

_"I am not at liberty to tell you such vital information…"_

_"Well, Tatiana, let me take a guess. Could Alfie Solomons be one of Rose's clients? How about Darby Sabini? Is he on the list? Billy Kimber before his untimely departure on this Earth?" Tommy took a drag of his cigarette and tossed Rose's file on Tatiana's desk. "Set up a meeting for me with Rose. Not here, though. Tell her to meet me at The Savoy Hotel this Saturday night. Give her this as well," Tommy handed Tatiana an envelope she assumed had cash in it. "Tell her to buy something nice for the occasion. The two of us can talk over dinner, and if all goes well, we can end the night on a good note. Just know this Princess, if all goes well, then Rose becomes mine. Her other clients can fuck off for all I care. I am not one to share what is mine."_

So here Rose was, at one of London's top boutiques picking out a dress for Saturday night. Tatiana explained the possible arrangement with Mr. Shelby, and if things went well, he would be Rose's main client. Meaning he would become Rose's only client. She had reservations about it until Tatiana shared how much Mr. Shelby was willing to pay. It was more money than Rose originally would make. Tatiana shared that Mr. Shelby would provide Rose a weekly allowance on top of her services' standard fees. The deal with too good to pass up. However, Tatiana was adamant to Rose that meeting Tommy first would be wise before agreeing to any deals. 

All Rose knew was that she had a date with The Gypsy. 


	3. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about Rose and find out why Lizzie left. Rose meets Tommy for the first time and begins the process of solidifying their arrangement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, the response to this fic has been wonderful.
> 
> Warnings: Mentions of sexual assault. Sexual activity between two consenting adults.
> 
> Feedback is wonderful. It is nice knowing if people actually like this fic. 
> 
> I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.

Saturday rolled faster than a blink of an eye. Rose was not nervous about tonight's meeting with her new client. A part of her was looking forward to it. Taking the time to look up Tommy Shelby on the Internet, Rose found out more about the man she would be possibly spending most of her time around. His backstory was interesting. The man started from nothing. It was no wonder Tommy was a massive celebrity within the business community. Inspiring entrepreneurs looked up to him and how he accumulated his wealth.

Rose was aware that Tommy's business practices were not always ethical, just like she knew that Alfie, Luca, and her other clients all dealt in questionable behavior to stay ahead of the game. It was like these guys did not know that the 1920s were long gone, and their little gangs should have considered obsolete in these present times. But it was not her job to question them as part of her did not care. All Rose wanted was to get paid and have a little pleasure herself once in a while. She hoped Tommy was good in bed as Lizzie mentioned he was. She had no reason not to believe her former coworker. 

It was a terrible incident at the club that made Lizzie leave for good. All because of Oswald Mosley and his sick and deviant behavior. Oswald was a Member of Parliament for South Staffordshire and the youngest member of the Conservative party. His influence within the party continued to gain strength as the young politician expressed his outlandish views that tended to lean towards fascism. Many other MPs have tried to rebuke Mosley's power but to no avail. His supporters only rallied behind him more. He was garnering more attention and enthusiasm to start his very own nationalist party within Great Britain. This idea worried many other MPs, even within the Conservative Party.

As Mosley's profile continued to rise, he found himself needing a form of release. It did not take long for him to receive an invitation to join Excelsior. Politicians were another form of clientele for the club. However, word soon spread about Mosley's odd behavior with the girls. The man had a weird fetish for rape and sexual assault fantasies. Not many girls wanted to partake in that act. Rose quickly passed on having Mosley as one of her clients since non-consensual/dubious consent was not something she gravitated towards when it came to pleasure.

Some of the girls confided in Rose they felt after being with Mosley. Many were scared to inform Izabella or Tatiana in fear of getting fired. Unfortunately, it took the incident with Lizzie that left her brutally scarred, both physically and psychologically, to have Mosley permanently banned from Excelsior. What made it worse was that no one could do anything to Mosley outside the club, no police reports, no arrests, nothing. He was too powerful.

The only thing Lizzie said to Rose was that Mosley took it too far and that she was rethinking her time at the club. When Lizzie did not show up for three days, Rose knew that she left the life of escorting for good.

Giving herself one last look in the mirror, Rose opted for the wine-colored long drape dress, with a silver belt to extenuate her hips, and topped it off with silver ankle strap heels. Satisfied with how she looked, Rose grabbed her clutch (silver as well) and walked towards the front door.

"Mom, you are coming home later, right?" asked Louis as he sat in the living room watching television.

"Uh…probably won't be home until late. I'm simply hanging out with the girls. Don't wait up, sweetie," said Rose kissing her son on the top of his head.

"Aren't you a little too dressed up for a girl's night out?"

"Louis, darling, here is some advice about women. We like to look nice now and then. It makes us feel good. So, don't ever question why your mummy is all dolled up, okay. The girls and I are celebrating Ellie's promotion at the firm. That is all. Now, do not stay up too late. See you later, love."

"Bye, mum."

Rose hated lying to her son, but there was no way she would ever reveal the truth to him about how they could afford their lifestyle.

As a teen mom, Rose worked tirelessly from different part-time jobs to get food on the table. She was tired of struggling to make ends meet. Rose wanted more for her son. By Rose's mid-twenties, she bit the bullet and became an exotic dancer. The nerves and humiliation wore off quickly when Rose counted her tips. It was the most she had ever made and all in one night. She had no intentions of ever becoming a high-end call girl. But again, the money proved to be too good to pass up. It also helped the Duchess and Princess give their girls some sense of agency and control over what they do and partake in certain activities. Rose's clients did not seem to understand or realize that she held all of the power. She was not a puppet, nor was she naïve.

* * *

Tommy continued to check his watch every fifteen minutes. Rose was not late by any means; it was merely a habit. It gave him something to do since he was not allowed to smoke at The Savoy. He instructed Rose to meet at the hotel's bar and restaurant at precisely 9:00 p.m.

He was not nervous as Tommy Shelby did not get nervous. He wanted to get the night started. The man needed some release.

"Mr. Shelby," spoke the hostess. "I have a Miss Turner here to see you."

"Yes, thank you. Send Miss Turner over, please," ordered Tommy and downed his glass of Irish whiskey in one gulp.

For a second, Tommy thought he forgot how to breathe when he saw Rose walk towards him. He would not deny that she was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Mr. Shelby," she greeted him with a quick kiss on his cheek. Thankfully, no lipstick residue on his face. Men hated when that happened, Rose learned.

"Miss Turner. It is a pleasure to meet you in person finally," said Tommy as he helped Rose into her seat. He could be a gentleman when he wanted to be one. His Aunt Polly raised him right.

After giving her drink order to the waiter and a refill for Tommy, the two were left alone for the time being. Unsure of where the conversation should start, Rose chose to cut to the chase.

"How do you want tonight to go, exactly? Are we here to talk about, I don't know what you call it, our agreement, our arrangement? Or should we…"

"I say we talk about what we like and don't like," Tommy cut Rose off.

When the waiter brought their drinks, Rose took a sip of her white wine, while Tommy sipped his whiskey.

"My file should have included my interests. What I will and won't do with a man," Rose reminded him.

"Indeed, it did, but a file can only tell me so much. I would rather hear it from you, Miss Turner. So, tell me, what gets you off?" asked Tommy in a low voice as he leaned over the table. Thankfully, the two were at a back corner table with no other patrons around.

Taking another sip of her wine, Rose leaned in as well. "I like being dominated. From your file, you like being the dominant one. I like being tied up, gagged, and made to cum over and over again until I can't take it anymore. Orgasm denial, I like that as well—humiliation or degradation, whatever you want to call it. I don't care for that at all. It has never turned me on."

"What about pain? What is your pain threshold?" Tommy questioned.

"Pretty high."

"So, nipple clamps, whips, floggers…none of that bothers you?"

Rose shook her head 'no' and asked Tommy what kinds of punishment he prefers.

"Spankings with my bare hands and edging. Punishments only occur if I deem you being bratty or don't follow my rules."

Rose nodded, indicating she understood. "Pretty standard forms of punishment for a dominant."

The waiter stopped by again, asking if they wanted another drink or order some food. "I'm okay, thank you," said Rose.

"I liked to order champagne for our room, please," Tommy requested and told the waiter his room number. Rose was not surprised that he was in one of the hotel's suites. On different occasions, she had been to The Savoy Hotel, mostly with her other clients for leisurely visits now and then when they called for her services.

Taking another sip of her drink, Rose started to feel unsure to ask Tommy next. "Is there anything particular that you like or don't like?"

Gulping down his whiskey once again, Tommy stood up from his seat and helped you out of yours.

"Let's head up, and I can show you what I like. You can take your drink with you," mentioned Tommy buttoning up his suit jacket.

Rose gulped down her wine and grabbed her purse. "No need. I'm ready," she said and looped her arm around his. Tommy kept his strides short throughout the walk to the elevator. Rose noticed how the other hotel patrons all seemed to fawn over the man she was with while the employees moved out of his way. Rose found it amusing when in the elevator the people who were already in quickly left, leaving them alone on the ride up to his suit.

"People go out of their way to accommodate you, don't they, Mr. Shelby. Must be nice to have all that power over others," Rose stated admiringly.

Tommy smirked and looked at Rose, "When you come from nothing, you work extra hard to achieve everything, even peoples' fear of you. What about you? Must you find it exhilarating to have powerful men at your fingertips? I would not be shocked that once your clients and I told Tatiana that I have an idea of who they are, well, they are not going to be happy about losing you to me. I have a lot of enemies, Miss Turner, but rest assure that while you are in my company, you will be safe and protected."

The elevator dinged indicated they made it to their destination. Leading the way once again, Tommy steered them down the hall and stopped at the door of his suite. Once he got Rose inside, he took off his suit jacket and opened the doors to the balcony where he could finally get his nicotine fix. He offered one to Rose, but she declined. Tommy watched as Rose looked around the suite. He took this time to look at the woman before him; she would not be deemed the model-type with her 5'7 stature, nor was she skin and bones. Dark brown hair ran past her shoulders, and her skin had a lovely complexion. Tommy took one last drag of his cigarette and stubbed it out on the balcony.

He slowly walked up behind Rose and wrapped his strong arms around, inhaling her scent; he began to grind himself against her backside. Rose promptly reciprocated and matched his rhythm. Trailing kisses down Rose's neck, Tommy moved his hands to squeeze her breasts. He quickly turned her around and began kissing her on the mouth. His dominant side was finally allowed to be released.

When Rose pulled away, it took Tommy by surprise. When he began to pull Rose back towards him, she put her hands on his chest. "I need to freshen up first, is that okay?"

Letting out a sigh, Tommy motioned her towards the bathroom. "I won't be long; I promise," assured Rose. Once in the bathroom, she began to take off her heels and dress. She hung her dress on the door hook, placed her heels to the side, and then looked herself over in the mirror. Smoothing out her hair, Rose dug in her clutch to quickly check her phone. No messages from her son. Now, Rose would be able to focus on the task at hand entirely.

Rose exited the bathroom to see Tommy waiting for her on the couch, no longer wearing his tie and vest, shirt partly unbuttoned. She walked towards him, where he indicated he wanted Rose on her knees. Spreading his legs, Rose kneeled and began unzipping his pants, reaching for his hardened member and gave it a few strokes. She looked up to see Tommy stretch and lay his head back against the couch, indicated he was comfortable and was ready for Rose to begin. Rose licked her lips and opened her mouth to take him in as much as far as possible. Rose did not stop until she felt him at the back of her throat.

Rose pulled away for a second to lick off the precum of Tommy's dick before proceeding to lick the entire length. She went back to sucking once Tommy put his hand in her hair. He bobbed her head back and forth at a fast pace. Tommy felt like he was about to explode his load in Rose's mouth he backed off. Rose took the time to catch her breath. She watched as Tommy took off his shirt and got up from the couch.

"Up," he ordered, and Rose followed obediently.

She never took her eyes off Tommy while he walked to the bedroom.

"Take this off," Tommy ordered, indicating he wanted her bra off.

Once again, Rose followed his orders. She tossed the bra to the side, and Tommy walked closer to her. He reached for her breast and began to squeeze them, tugging on her nipples. When he started to pull her nipples extra hard, Rose let out a little squeak.

"Too hard?" Tommy asked and released his tight grip.

"No. I mean, it hurts, but it feels good too," Rose answered truthfully.

Tommy once again started pulling on her nipples as hard as he could without hurting Rose too much. He pressed his lips against hers. Rose quickly reciprocated the action and ran her hands through his hair. Backing Rose towards the bed, he lightly pushed her, where she softly plopped down. Tugging her underwear down, Tommy tossed them to the side and ran a finger up-and-down her folds.

"Wet, as I expected. Let me see how many fingers you can take, shall we," amused Tommy and slipped, not one, but two fingers inside Rose. He soon began pumping his fingers in and out.

He kept going while Rose emitted more moans from her mouth. She was panting and getting closer to needing release. But she knew a sweet release would not come easy. No, Tommy was going to have Rose work for it. She was about the beg to cum when Tommy pulled his fingers out of her cunt.

Tracing his thumb against her clit, Rose let out a squeal at the new feeling. Tommy smirked. That feeling of control, control over this woman's body, it's what made Tommy feel at ease. It allowed for his head to feel clear. Tommy did not have to worry about business deals or rival gangs; instead, his focus was all on the woman before him writhing in pleasure.

Inserting his fingers back in her cunt, Tommy added a third finger this time. Rose sat up on her elbows to watch Tommy. She saw the looked of deep concentration on his face. When he reached that spot, Rose jerked up, and Tommy used his free hand to push her back down on the bed.

"I'm going to cum. I need to cum," Rose panted out, but Tommy kept going.

"Not yet," he merely said. "You do not cum until I say you can, understood." It was an order, not a question.

"Yes…yes sir," Rose managed to say. She did not know how long she would last.

"Cum!" Tommy commanded and Rose more than happily followed it.

Pure bliss is all Rose felt until Tommy pried her mouth open with the fingers that were in her.

"Lick them clean for me, love. Taste yourself."

When she licked his fingers clean, Tommy took off his pants and underwear. He crawled on top of Rose and began kissing her stomach, each breast, her neck, and finally lips.

"You're not tired out yet, are you love?" he asked her.

When Rose shook her head no, Tommy leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Good. It is going to be a long night for you."


	4. Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the morning after Rose's first night with Tommy. While Rose deals with her son, Louis, Tommy reminisces about the previous night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter wraps up Rose's first night with Tommy and dealing with the morning after.
> 
> Warnings: Reminiscent of the night's previous sexual activity.

Sore. That is all Rose felt the morning after her first night with Tommy. The man’s stamina was almost too much to handle, but she managed to keep up. Rose turned over to Tommy’s side of the bed to see he no longer occupied the spot. However, he did not leave as she could hear him talking on the phone in the other room. She saw that the clock on the nightstand read 8:15 a.m. She hoped her son was not up yet. The last thing she wanted was for him to worry about her whereabouts.

Rose reached her hand down to her low half to cup her folds.

‘Yep, sore,’ she said to herself. Begrudgingly, she got up from the bed to make her way to the bathroom. She opted to take a quick shower to clean herself up. Before stepping into the walk-in shower, Rose looked at her naked body in the mirror. Tommy left his mark on her, from hickeys to love bites, along with a red bottom from the occasional smack.

Wrapping herself in a robe, she exited the bathroom to sit back on the bed, drying her hair a towel. As Rose was about to reach for her phone, Tommy walked into the bedroom. He did not pay too much mind to Rose as he gathered his suit jacket. When he finally looked over to Rose, she noticed that he had difficulty making eye contact with her.

He cleared his throat, not to get her attention but to help cleanse the dryness he was all of a sudden feeling.

“I have to head out now, need to get back to work. I asked for a late checkout, so you don’t have to leave when I leave,” Tommy told Rose. “I took the liberty of having my assistant bring you a set of spare clothes.”

What Rose noticed was how awkward Tommy appeared to be. It was like he did not know how to act around her. Vastly different from the dominant man she met last night. She wondered if he was having second thoughts about their arrangement. For a split second, Rose wanted to ask him what he thought about last night and their first time together. Almost like a review of some sort.

“I would like to see you again,” Tommy declared and reached his hand to stroke Rose’s cheek. “Wednesday night at 9 o’clock. I’ll have my assistant email you the details.”

“Okay. That works for me,” Rose told him.

With a nod to his head, Tommy leaned down and placed a kiss on Rose’s lips; before she could reciprocate, he pulled away and left without saying goodbye.

Releasing a deep sigh, Rose laid down the bed and closed her eyes. She went over the events of the night before in her mind. Out of all the clients Rose has been acquainted with in the past, none were like Tommy. None could compare. Tommy was like a whole different breed of man. No other client had made her cum that many times to the point of total exhaustion. Not even Alfie nor Luca came close.

Tommy’s total control over Rose’s body brought a euphoric sense that she had not experienced before.

The ringing of Rose’s cellphone disrupted her thoughts. She quickly got up to retrieve her phone from her bag. The caller ID read, ‘Louis,’ her son.

“Shit!” she spoke loudly and answered the call.

“Hey, Sweetie. Good morning. What are you doing up so early?” Rose asked, putting on a cheery front.

“Where are you? Why aren’t you home yet? I called Ellie to ask if she was with you, and she said no. She told me that you guys didn’t go out last night. Why did you say did?” Louis questioned his mother. She could tell he was quite upset.

“Sweetie, I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Yes, I didn’t go out with the girls last night. I went out...on a date.”

“A date? Why not just say that? Is this because of dad?”

“Louis, I will be home soon, and we can talk then, okay,” Rose reassured. She hated lying to her son.

With a deep sigh over the phone, Louis agreed and bid goodbye to his mother.

“Fuck!” Rose yelled and threw her phone on the bed. She looked to see where the extra pair of clothes Tommy’s assistant brought her (jeans and a t-shirt) and quickly changed. Rose called down to the front desk to ask for a taxi, then gathered her belongings and left the hotel suite.

Thankfully, the taxi was waiting for Rose when she came down to the lobby. She gave the driver her address and spent the next thirty minutes thinking up new excuses to tell Louis. He would immediately bombard her with questions on who she went out with, if she would see him again, and if the relationship were in a serious stage. She would keep her answers short and sweet to ward off any suspicions he may have about her “dating.”

When Rose walked into the house, she found Louis in the kitchen getting the tea kettle ready.

“Hey,” Rose spoke up as she dropped her things off on the table and took off her heels, which were killing her feet. “Sorry I worried you, kid,” she said while giving Louis a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“I wasn’t worried…I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he replied, not so confidently. “Okay, fine, I was worried about you, okay.”

Now Rose felt guilty and disgusted with herself. She sat down at the table and watched Louis made them a cup of tea.

“So, who is the guy?” he asked when he set the teacup down for Rose.

“What?”

“The guy you were obviously with last night. Who is he?” Louis asked again.

Taking a sip of her tea to buy some time before eventually lying to her kid, Rose explained, “He is a guy met at that work trip I took last month. We sort of hit it off and stayed in touch. He’s been busy with work and finally had some time off, so he called and asked me out.”

Rose could feel the tea wanting to come back up after she spewed that lie.

“Does this guy have a name?”

“Tom. His name is Tom. It’s all-new, so we are taking it very slowly,” Rose answered. All of a sudden, she felt the need for another shower.

* * *

For Tommy, it only took him ten minutes to return home from the hotel. It was the luxury of being able to afford a £54,500,000 12-bedroom, 14,510 sq. ft. townhouse right in the center of London. The house was one of his most prized possessions, another symbol of the mass wealth he and his family accumulated over the years. It was also a place that did not remind him of Grace as she never lived in the home. Her home was Arrow House in Warwickshire. That was the home Tommy bought for Grace as a wedding present. It was going to be the home they would raise their growing family. But when Grace died, Tommy wanted nothing to do with Arrow House and opted to move him and Charlie to London. While Tommy still owned the home he once shared with Grace; he had not been back there in two years. He would most likely end up giving it to Charlie once he got older.

As Tommy walked into his office, he poured himself a whiskey and sat down at the desk. He went over the events of last night in his head. Rose’s body fit him nicely. She was very responsive to everything he did, to all of the pleasures he gave her. The way she positively responded when he started to get rougher. The thought alone made him begin to get hard. Tommy could not deny that he was looking forward to exploring more with Rose and displaying his dominant side. He already had plans for what he wanted to do to Rose when he would see her again.

He opened his side desk drawer and pulled out the file he had on Rose. Before Tommy met Rose in person, he had one of his men follow her to find out more about the woman. She lived in a modest-looking two-bedroom terrace home that she purchased a year ago. He looked over Rose's pictures in her car driving to and from her part-time job as a program assistant at New City College at its Hackney campus. Tommy looked through the next set of photos of Rose. With her was a young man walking down the street or coming in and out of the house. He was surprised to find out the young man was Rose's son. Her file at the Excelsior Club never mentioned her having a child, let alone a teenager. 

This revelation did not perturb Tommy, nor did it diminish anything he may be feeling towards Rose. It was more sexual feelings he had for Rose, nothing more. There was no other woman who could melt his icy heart, even Grace had trouble at first, but Tommy could no longer deny his feelings for the blonde Irish woman. With Lizzie, he felt something that could have misconstrued as love; however, all it turned out to be was a deep affection for her. She was too broken like him for it to be anything other than lust.

Rose would merely be another notch of whores on his belt. Nothing more.


	5. A Change of Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A change of plans has Tommy inviting Rose to a benefit gala to celebrate the Grace Shelby Institute at the Museum of London. Tommy is willing to go all out to get Rose ready for the special night. We get more mentions of the Shelby clan and an actual appearance by Arthur. Alfie Solomons also makes an appearance to antagonize Tommy. Alfie warns Tommy about Luca Changretta and taking Rose for himself. Rose stands her ground against Tommy and Alfie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wanted to establish that Tommy had been with Grace for a good amount of time and Charlie to be a little older than he was on the show. Note: COVID-19 is not portrayed in this fic since the story takes place in 2020, and it is an Alternate Universe. 
> 
> Timeline for this story.  
> 2007: Tommy Begins Shelby Company Limited.  
> 2009: The company takes off.  
> 2010: Tommy meets Grace.  
> 2011: Tommy and Grace get married.  
> 2012: Their son, Charlie, is born.  
> 2013-2018: The company continues to thrive.  
> 2018: Grace gets sick and passes away. Tommy begins going to Excelsior Club and starts a “relationship with Lizzie Stark.  
> 2020: Lizzie leaves. Tommy begins a new “relationship” with Rose.
> 
> Italics represent the past or past conversations.
> 
> Warnings: Swearing. Daydreaming about sexual fantasy.
> 
> I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.

* * *

Tommy Shelby strolled into the London offices of the Shelby Company Limited early Monday morning. Bypassing his employees, he headed straight to his office. 

“Mr. Shelby,” Tommy’s assistant, Andrew, said to get his attention. 

Unfortunately, Tommy shut the door in Andrew’s face. The timid assistant hesitantly knocked on the door, hoping his boss was in a somewhat decent mood.

“Come in,” Tommy ordered, and Andrew slowly stepped inside the office.

“Mr. Shelby, I have messages from your Mrs. Thorne and Ms. Gray,” answered Andrew.

When Tommy gave Andrew the go-ahead, he began reading the messages. 

“Okay, uh, Mrs. Thorne says the new deal in Boston is going according to plans, but the Los Angeles deal is currently on hold. There are talks of renegotiations that need some assessment,” shared Andrew. He looked up from his notes to view Tommy’s reaction, which remained neutral. Andrew continued, “Ms. Gray asked that I remind you of the benefit gala for the Gracey Shelby Institute, which is taking place this Wednesday; evening festivities begin at seven o’clock. Ms. Gray asked if you have worked on your speech?”

Tommy let out an annoyed groan. Truthfully, he had not forgotten about the benefit gala. Tommy was merely tired of attending them and putting on a happy front to strangers. He had other things that required his attention, like his new companion. Tommy could not stop thinking about Rose. He needed to see her again. 

_“I would like to see you again,” Tommy declared and reached his hand to stroke Rose’s cheek. “Wednesday night at 9 o’clock. I’ll have my assistant email you the details.”_

Now Tommy remembered his plans to meet Rose on Wednesday and how he might invite her along for the benefit gala. He had always planned to bring her to his work functions. He figured the opportunity to show her off would arise later. However, Wednesday’s benefit gala would suffice enough. 

“Andrew, please email Ms. Turner as soon as possible, asking her if she would attend the benefit gala with me. I already know she will accept. Let her know all of the details of the event, particularly that it is formal. Call Jenna and have her pick out an array of dresses, shoes, accessories for Ms. Turner to choose from and send them over to her house. Also, let Ms. Turner know that a car will be picking her up to take her to the gala and to bring an overnight bag,” Tommy instructed his assistant, who was quickly writing everything down. 

“Yes, sir. I will get on that right away,” informed Andrew. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his boss. “Is there anything else, sir?”

“No, Andrew, that will be all for now.”

For his second night with you, Tommy was planning on taking Rose further on the edge of pleasure. He wanted to test how far he could push her. Tommy began to feel a hardness grow in his pants at the thought of tying Rose to his bed while he strapped a Hitachi vibrator to her leg. He pictured her writhing and struggling with orgasm and orgasm, with a pleading look in her eyes for the pain and pleasure to stop. 

Slowing his breathing, Tommy knew he needed to stop thinking about Rose and concentrate on other things that were top priority. But every so often, the woman crept into Tommy’s thoughts to distract him from work. He decided to call Ada to talk more about the Boston and Los Angeles deals. Yes, talking with his little sister would keep his dirty thoughts at bay.

* * *

**May 18, 2020**

**Rose Turner**   
**Leahurst Road,**   
**London SE13**

**Dear Ms. Turner,**

**Mr. Shelby is requesting your presence this Wednesday, May 20, 2020, for the Grace Shelby Institute benefit gala. The event will be held at the Museum of London and begin at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Shelby will be sending over his stylist the day before to pick out different outfits for you to choose from, along with making sure a chauffeur will drive you to the event. Mr. Shelby also requests that you bring an overnight bag.**

**Please let me know if you need any further assistance for May 20 or any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact me.**

**Have a wonderful day.**

**Best regards,**

**Andrew**

**Andrew Birch**   
**(He/Him)**   
**Executive Assistant**   
**Shelby Company Limited**   
**[Andrew.Birch@SCL.com](mailto:Andrew.feinstein@SCL.com) **   
**(020)-3664-8745**

* * *

Rose sat back stunned at the email she received from this Andrew person. Yes, she knew Tommy wanted to see her this Wednesday night, but to attend a benefit gala celebrating his deceased wife, that was not something she was expecting him to consider. However, a part of Rose knew that if Tommy wanted her there, she would accommodate him. Rose wrote Andrew back, accepting Tommy’s invitation. With the event occurring in two days, she gave Rose all the time needed to find a reasonable excuse to explain to her son and friends. No doubt that the press would be all over Wednesday’s occasion, and if there were any chance of Rose photographed at the gala with Tommy Shelby of all people; she would be in for a real Hell storm.

By Tuesday, a woman named Jenna stopped by in the evening with racks of dresses and bags of shoes and accessories to go with the outfits.

The dresses ranged from Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Caroline Herrera, and Marchesa. When Rose caught sight of the price tags for the gowns, she cringed.

“Is this dress really £5,048.00?” Rose asked Jenna, pointing to the Carolina Herrera dress. “That is way too much. I can’t accept something like that, ever.”

“Nonsense. Mr. Shelby told be to spare to expenses in the dresses I have brought you,” Jenna waved of Rose’s concerns. 

All of the dresses were beautiful, and Rose was having difficulty choosing amongst the selection. It was not until she saw an ivory crepe gown with an intricately embroidered one-sleeve gown draped across the hip and front slip to show a little bit of leg. It was classy but also sexy in a tasteful way. 

“This is the one I like the most. I’m going to try it on,” said Rose holding it up for Jenna.

“That dress would look great on you. Try it on, and I can make adjustments if needed.” 

Rose put it on, and thankfully, the dress ended up fitting nicely. 

“It is comfortable too,” Rose noted as she looked herself over in the mirror.

“Try on these,” Jenna instructed, handing Rose a pair of metallic Valentino sandals. She also added a satin Gucci clutch to tie the whole ensemble.

“Well, my work here is done. Now off to find Mr. Shelby some new suites. Surprisingly, you were much easier to dress than him. Don’t tell him I said that; I will deny it,” Jenna teased while gathering up the dress racks and shoes and accessory bags.

“Oh, before I forget, here,” Jenna handed Rose a business card to a salon and spa. When Rose looked closely, it had the date and time of an appointment.

“What is this?” Rose asked, confused.

“Mr. Shelby would like for you to get your hair and make-up done professionally for the event.”

Rose did not know whether to be insulted or stunned. It turns out she was a mix of both.

“Don’t view it as a slight, Ms. Turner. You are a stunning woman. It merely is with these types of events; it is no holds bar. A person has to go all out to make a good impression, and with the people you will be associating with, it is best to take the card, love,” Jenna stated, honestly. 

* * *

“Tommy!” yelled Arthur storming into his brother’s office.

Letting out a low groan, Tommy turned towards Arthur. He was not in the mood for his older brother’s antics. “What do you want, Arthur? As you can see, I am busy.”

“We got problems down at The Garrison,” Arthur answered. “The Changrettas are trying to infiltrate in our area of Birmingham once again. Since you are so busy down here in London, they must figure that our side of Birmingham is up for the taking. Your presence is needed back home, Tommy. John and I can only hold off the Changrettas for so long. Plus, Vincent has repeatedly stated that he would rather discuss business with you. It seems like he is seriously considering forming a stable partnership this time around.” 

Tommy leaned back in his chair. He was in dire need of a cigarette at the moment. “Let’s head outside, Arthur, eh,” said Tommy standing up and gathering his coat. He headed out of his office with Arthur following behind him. Once outside, Tommy lit up a cigarette and basked in the nicotine filling up his lungs. 

“How are Linda and Billy doing, Arthur?” Tommy asked, making light conversation.

“They’re good, Tom. Real good. How is little Charlie doing? Does he like school still?”

“Charlie is holding up nicely. He is excelling at school, which is no surprise. I make sure I talk to him at least once a week,” shared Tommy. 

“You’re a good father, Tommy. The kid is lucky he got you,” Arthur commented. 

The two brothers stood quietly next to one another as they smoked. Arthur could tell Tommy was in deep thought about the new Changretta situation. 

“Tell Changretta that we can discuss expansion opportunities, not in Birmingham, but a different location. Birmingham needs to remain neutral since it is both of our home operations. Expanding and partnering somewhere else will allow us to go into business without any deceits. I’ll be back in Birmingham in June for the beginning of the summer festivities. Charlie keeps bugging me on taking him to Summerfest, so I told him we would go. I figured it would keep me on my son’s good side for the remainder of summer until he starts school back up again.”

“What if Changretta wants to talk before then?” questioned Arthur.

“If he is a patient man, then he can wait a couple more weeks. Also, if he values not starting a war, a war that he will lose, then he will become a patient man,” Tommy asserted. He looked down at his watch and stubbed out his cigarette. “I got to get back inside. Keep me posted on any developments, Arthur.”

“Will do, brother.”

“Arthur!” Tommy yelled out all of a sudden. 

“What?”

“Find everything you can on Luca Changretta. Don’t ask me why, just do it, please,” Tommy ordered and went back inside the building. 

When Tommy entered his office, Andrew followed him inside. 

“Mr. Shelby, you received an important call while you were outside,” shared Andrew.

“Who was it?”

“Alfie Solomons, sir. He called you himself, said it is important that you contact him back. Mr. Solomons requested you meet him later tonight for drinks. I looked at your schedule, sir, and you do not have any appointments. Would you like me to set everything up, sir?” Andrew rambled on.

Tommy let out an annoyed sigh, “Did Mr. Solomons give any indication on what he wants to discuss?”

“Uh,” Andrew began looking at his notes, “Mr. Solomons was very cryptic while on the phone. He only mentioned something about you stealing a rose from his garden. Do you happen to know what he is referring to, Mr. Shelby?”

‘Stealing a rose from his garden. Could the man be any more obvious,’ thought Tommy rolling his eyes.

“Yes, Andrew, unfortunately, I do. Please call back Mr. Solomons that I will meet him for a drink.”

Alfie came back with directives for Tommy to meet him alone at six o’clock at the Oriole Bar. Tommy had been there once or twice with Lizzie as she enjoyed the clandestine cocktail bar and its traveler-style décor and the live music. Tommy had not been back since Lizzie left town.

Even in the bar’s dim lighting, Tommy was able to make out Alfie’s significant stature in the far back. The two agreed on no henchmen tagging along that the meeting would be only Alfie and Tommy present.

“Alfie,” Tommy greeted coolly and sat down across from the other man. 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Tommy Shelby. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on short notice,” replied Alfie with his ever-present smirk on his face. 

A waiter stopped by their table, asking for Tommy’s drink order.

“Irish whiskey. Neat.”

Leaning back in his chair, Alfie proceeded to look around the bar. It was not a place he would generally be a patron of as he viewed as being “too gentile.” However, there was a reason why Alfie chose this specific place to meet up with Tommy. 

With his drink now in hand, Tommy took a sensible sip and asked, “Why did you want to meet all of a sudden, Alfie? With the message you left my assistant, I do not think you asked him to talk leisurely about business. Is that correct?”

“How about you tell me why you think I asked you here?” Alfie ordered. He positioned himself in his chair lean closer to Tommy with a tight-lipped smile on his face.

Now it was Tommy’s turn to smirk. “Something about stealing a rose from your garden. Is that what the women at Excelsior are to you, Alfie. Little flowers for you to play with; did I take your favorite one?”

“Rose and I had lots of fun together. She is very moldable, if you know what I mean. So willing to try almost anything and is always willing to please her dominant. I could give you some pointers on what makes her body tick…”

“Did you ask me here to talk about Rose and how upset you are that I took her away from you? If so, then save your breath. She is mine now,” Tommy stated boldly. 

Alfie sighed. He was annoyed at Tommy’s shenanigans. “So, you aren’t keen on sharing your toys, eh? That is going to come to bite you back real hard. For the record, you can keep Rose. As you mentioned, I have many other little flowers in my garden to attend to and keep satisfied. Besides, you will have The Pope to deal with now that you have taken his girl. I would not be surprised if he shows up in your neck of woods soon and pissed the fuck off.”

“Who the fuck is The Pope?” Tommy asked, wondering what Alfie was talking about and if he was taking the piss out of him.

When Alfie looked over Tommy’s shoulder, he quickly turned around to see what the man was looking at, only to see Rose enter the bar with a group of friends.

“Oh look, there’s our girl now,” Alfie teased with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Did you not know our little Rosie likes to stop by here after work on Mondays with her girlfriends for a drink? By the look of shock on your face, I would say no. Which is surprising since you must be having one of your men tailing her every move.” 

Alfie waved over a waiter to their table. “Can you please ask that girl with the dark brown hair and nice ass to come over here?”

“The one with the low-cut purple top?” confirmed the waiter meekly.

“Yes, that is the one I want to come over,” Alfie replied, shooing the waiter away. “Rosie knows all about The Pope. She can tell you what you want to know,” added Alfie shooting Tommy a wink. 

* * *

All Rose wanted to do was to have a lovely evening out with her girlfriends. With the email she received earlier about attending the benefit gala with him, one minute trying on designer dresses and going into work on her day off to help her boss with budgeting. She needed a drink.

“I’m going to start with a Dirty Shirley,” Rose said to the bartender.

“What are you, twelve?” Ellie teased and ordered a vodka martini while their other friends laughed and ordered drinks.

Rolling her eyes, Rose replied, “Don’t hate on my drink order. I’m going to go find us a table.”

Turning away from the bar, Rose looked around for an unoccupied table. Since it was happy hour, the place was packed, but Rose could spot a table off to the side. Unfortunately, before Rose could make it to the open table, a waiter cut her off.

“Excuse me, miss? The gentleman in the corner asked you to stop by right now,” the waiter said.

“What?” Rose was confused until she looked over at saw Alfie wave her over. She let out a groan. “Fucking Hell,” she whispered and turned away to down her Dirty Shirley. Rose handed the waiter her empty glass and asked for a whiskey sour with no foam. 

“Hey girls, there is a table in the corner that is free. I see someone I know, so I’m going to talk to him. I won’t be long,” Rose told them and headed towards Alfie.

As Rose got closer to the table, she could make out another man at the table. She immediately saw that it was Tommy. Rose wondered why he was here. Rose knew she had to be “on” at that moment.

“Hello, gentlemen. How you both doing tonight?” Rose put on a smile. She let out a small laugh when both men jumped out of their seats to help her into the one between them.

Now with her whiskey sour, Rose took a sip and turned more towards Alfie. “It has been a while.”

“Yes, it has, love. I do hope Tommy boy here is treating you nicely,” Alfie teased and grabbed Rose’s hand to begin stroking. 

Tommy noticed Alfie’s demeanor changed while around Rose. Gone was the intimated businessman/gangster; instead, he appeared to a man with a crush or admiration for the woman next to him. 

Instead of answering Alfie’s question, Rose looked down at their entwined hands. “You know,” she began, “This is the first time I have had skin-to-skin contact with you. Normally, you always had on latex gloves whenever you touched me.”

“Oh, love, come on now. Don’t give me a hard time,” Alfie spoke, but there was no malice in his tone. He was able to tell that Rose was merely ribbing him at that moment.

“As much as I would love to sit here with the likes of you two, but I did come out tonight with my friends, and I’d like to get back to them. So, what is it that you both wanted?” Rose uttered. ‘God, I hope it is not a threesome. I do not think I could survive taking them both on at the same time,’ Rose thought to herself.

“Alfie here says you know someone referred to as The Pope,” Tommy finally spoke to Rose. 

She turned to look at Tommy and frowned. “Why is The Pope being brought up?”

“Because he is going to be upset that his pet is no longer available, “Alfie said truthfully. “Tell Tommy who The Pope is, love.”

Rose sipped her drink to help take the edge off. She could feel her anxiety start to rise. Letting out a sigh, Rose told Tommy that The Pope was a nickname the girls at the club gave to Luca Changretta. She did not go into any detail about why or how Luca got that nickname to Tommy. The last thing Rose wanted was to talk about her previous sexual escapades with her primary client.

“There is always another girl. We are all replaceable in your eyes,” Rose disclosed to the men before her. “None of you care about us. We are there to take your mind off the stresses in your lives and go your merry way. That is all. There are no real feelings between the girls and the clientele. None of us expect to be swept off our feet by prince charming. Life is not a Pretty Woman movie. Plus, neither the two of you are prince charming,” added Rose and got up. She had enough and wanted to get back to her friends.

“Luca Changretta is not my problem,” she declared and turned to Tommy. “If he does become a problem, then I expect you to take care of it. You promised you would protect me, and I want my son protected as well, so please hold up to that deal.”

Rose stood and waited for Tommy to agree to her added terms, which he obliged. “No one will harm you or your son. Luca will be my problem, not yours. I can promise you that, Rose.”

“Thank you. I got to go now. I’ll see you Wednesday night?”

“See you Wednesday,” Tommy confirmed. He got up to place a chaste kiss on Rose’s cheek. Both ignored the groan Alfie let out.

“Bye,” said Rose and left the table.

Tommy watched her back retreat from him and sat down. “What?” Tommy asked when he saw Alfie’s smug look.

With a simple shrug of his shoulders, Alfie only had one last thing to say to Tommy, “Be careful with that one. She will break your heart.”

Downing the rest of his drink, Tommy slammed the glass down on the table. He was surprised it didn’t shatter. “You can’t break something that is already broken.”


	6. The Grace Shelby Institute Gala

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the night of the benefit gala, and the first time Rose is out with Tommy at such an event. Rose notices the way Tommy is at the gala honoring his late wife. Benefit galas were the bane of Tommy's existence. He hated attended them; even worse, he hated speaking at them. It was Grace who was good at the types of events. She was the one who cared about people and making the world a better place. That was not Tommy. However, he was determined to keep Grace's memory alive, especially for Charlie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics represent the past or past conversations.
> 
> I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.
> 
> Warnings: Swearing

* * *

"Louis! Can you come here, please!" Rose yelled from her room.

"What!" Louis yelled back, annoyed. He hated that his mom was going out on a weeknight, especially to an event with some guy.

"Get up here!" Rose ordered and then mumbled, "Yell at me like that again, little boy, and I'll kick your ass."

"What, mum?"

"Here, take this and set it by the front door," Rose said, handing Louis her overnight bag.

"You're staying overnight with this guy! Why?" demanded Louis.

"Honey," Rose began to try to ease her son's worries. "It is okay. I will be back in the morning. Now, get out. I got to put on my dress. The driver should be here in 45 minutes, and I got to prep still."

Louis scoffed, "This 'Tom' guy is not even picking up himself?"

"Out!" Rose exclaimed and shut her bedroom door. She turned towards the bathroom and began prepping. 

Thankfully, Rose did not have to do much since the salon appointment Tommy scheduled pretty much did everything for her. The hairstylist and Rose agreed upon a chignon up-do style for her long brown locks. The low bun had a sophisticated twist to it that accentuated Rose's natural makeup. Nothing was too flashy as Rose did not want to stand out much during the benefit gala. She figured accompanying Tommy Shelby would already do that for her.

With everything done, Rose put on her dress and shoes, grabbed her clutch, and gave herself one last look over in the mirror. Satisfied with how she looked, Rose made her way downstairs just in time for the driver to ring the doorbell.

"I got to go," Rose declared and wrapped herself in a shawl that matched her dress. "How do I look?"

"You look beautiful, mom, as always," Louis beamed and hugged her. "Be careful, okay." 

"I will. Don't stay up too late," said Rose as the doorbell rang again. "I'm coming."

Rose opened the door and greeted the driver. "Hi, I'm sorry for taking too long."

"Nonsense, Ms. Turner. We are right on time. Please, allow me to take your bag," the driver offered and walked Rose to the car.

Rose turned back and waved goodbye to Louis, which he reciprocated.

Turning to the driver, Rose asked his name. "I'm Robert, Ms. Turner."

"Well, thank you, Robert," smiled Rose and got in the car. 

When Robert returned to the driver seat, he started the car and began driving to the Museum of London. "Robert, what will happen to my overnight bag? I mean, Mr. Shelby told me to bring one, but I don't know where I will be staying," Rose asked.

"Mr. Shelby asked me to take your bags to his home. He will drive you both back there after the gala," informed Robert, which surprised Rose. She never expected Tommy to take her back to his home. Rose figured they would stay at a hotel once again.

The drive to the museum was quiet, which unnerved Rose as it allowed her to begin the process of overthinking. She kept thinking back to the night with Tommy and Alfie at the bar.

_"Alfie here says you know someone referred to as The Pope," Tommy finally spoke to Rose._

_She turned to look at Tommy and frowned. "Why is The Pope being brought up?"_

_"Because he is going to be upset that his pet is no longer available, "Alfie said truthfully. "Tell Tommy who The Pope is, love."_

Even though Rose told Tommy that Luca Changretta was not her problem, she could not ease her anxiety. There were too many what-if scenarios running in Rose's mind. 

However, Tommy did promise that if Luca were to cause a stir, he would be the one to take care of it, not Rose. The only person Rose did not want to get her in any of this was Louis. If her son got hurt in any way, then she was out, period—no ifs and or buts about it. Louis was off-limits. 

"Uh, Robert, how long 'till we get there?" Rose asked when she looked at the clock, which read 6:53 PM on the car dashboard.

"I'm sorry, miss. Wednesday night traffic; not unusual. It looks to be an accident up ahead. Once we get past it, then we should arrive at the Museum by a quarter after seven."

"Okay, that is fine," replied Rose and got out her phone to text Tommy she would be fifteen minutes late. Rose hoped he wouldn't be upset by her lateness which was not by her doing. 

**Rose:** Hey, I am stuck in traffic at the moment. Robert expects to arrive at the Museum by 7:15.

She did not have to wait long for Tommy to reply with, 'Okay' and 'see you soon.'

One thing Rose liked about Tommy was how he was a man of few words. It was refreshing to be around a man who did not constantly boast about his success or money. Despite not being around Tommy for exceptionally long, Rose could get a good reading on the man. It was a skill she developed early on in her career as an escort. She saw how Tommy was the type to let his work, clothes, cars, and multiple homes speak for themselves. He did not need to try hard to impress people. Tommy had a natural charm that drew people to him on their own; that was when he let his guard down once in a while. 

Rose could tell that his cold demeanor was a defense mechanism to ward off those with bad intentions for the Shelby family's patriarch. If Rose went by, the ambitions that previous clients like Sabini, Kimber, or Changretta willingly shared with her was that they all wanted what Tommy Shelby had acquired. With Kimber's death, Tommy swooped in and took all of the deceased man's business clients. That made Sabini and the others back off for the time being. However, it would only be a matter of time before someone tried to take Tommy and the whole Shelby clan down. 

* * *

Benefit galas were the bane of Tommy's existence. He hated attended them; even worse, he hated speaking at them. It was Grace who was good at the types of events. She was the one who cared about people and making the world a better place. That was not Tommy. However, he was determined to keep Grace's memory alive, especially for Charlie. If it meant he had to "schmooze" with the high-society folks he despised to get their donations, then so be it. 

Tommy looked down at his watch to see it was 7:20 PM and still no Rose. He hoped she wasn't still stuck in traffic or lost someone where in the Museum. "Andrew," Tommy called his assistant over. He asked Andrew to go down to the main lobby to find Rose.

"Uh, how will I know it is her, sir. I don't know what she looks like," Andrew muttered nervously.

"Trust me; you will know when you find her. Just look for a young woman who you could see me spending time with."

When Tommy saw the look of confusion on Andrew's face, he sighed. "Look for a young woman with brown hair, average height, nice build, and I think she is wearing a white off-shoulder dress. Does that help?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you," Andrew replied and immediately left to find Rose.

Tommy made a beeline for the bar. All he wanted to do was get the mundane part of the night over with and take Rose back to his place. He needed an outlet to relieve his stress.

"Hello, Mr. Shelby. Nice to see you again," a voice crept up behind Tommy. 

Holding back an annoyed groan, Tommy turned around to see Daily Mail reporter Michael Levitt. "Mr. Levitt," Tommy said coolly. "Didn't expect to see you here, let alone invited."

Michael let out a chuckle, "It is an important night with the unveiling of the new Grace Shelby Institute in Galway, your late wife's hometown. Tell me, Mr. Shelby, when do you expect the new Institute to open?"

"This isn't an interview now, is it, Mr. Levitt?"

"Not at all. Merely inquiring minds want to know more about you, Mr. Shelby," answered Michael. 

Taking a sip of his whiskey, Tommy smirked at the man before him. "Always trying to figure me out, aren't ya? Like I am some mystery to solve. Listen, stick with the easy stuff like the Royal family and tearing down Harry and Meghan. Don't get involved with things that are too big for your britches. Now, if you excuse me, I have other guests to attend to."

As Tommy made his way towards the other guests, he saw Rose and Andrew entering the London Ellipse Hall. The two were chatting away with one another. It was the most animated Tommy had ever seen Andrew.

"Trust me, I completely understand. I put on conferences, forums, and workshops at my job as well. It can be stressful, especially when people register and decide not to show up. That tends to happen when you offer free registration. People don't feel obligated to show up because they don't feel they are losing out," Rose shared with Andrew.

"Oh my God! That is my worst nightmare. What do you do with all that food?" Andrew asked.

Rose shrugged, "We give it away to the guests who do show up or to the students on campus. I learned long ago that bringing to-go containers is a must." 

At that moment, Tommy appeared, getting the attention of the two who appeared to have become fast friends. 

"Rose, you look lovely," Tommy greeted and wrapped his arm around Rose. It was his way of showing his dominance and silently telling Andrew to bugger off.

Andrew caught the subtleties, "Well, I better get back to making sure everything is running smoothly. I was wondering if we could talk some other time. I'd love to pick your brains some other time if that is okay?" 

"Not a problem. See you around, Andrew. I'm sure Tommy could give me your contact information. Isn't that right?"

"Not a problem with me," Tommy answered casually. He found it amusing that his assistant found camaraderie with his whore. When Andrew left, Tommy grabbed two champagne flutes. He handed one to Rose, and the two clinked their glasses together. 

Tommy looked at Rose from head-to-toe. To him, she looked stunning. "You look beautiful," he complimented.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Shelby," Rose complimented back. "Sorry, I'm late," she added. "Does that result in you punishing me later?" Rose asked with a seductive tone in her voice.

Tommy leaned closer to Rose. He looked around to make sure no one was in earshot of them. "Do you want to be punished, my dear?"

"Well, considering me being late was not entirely my fault, I was hoping you could let it slide," teased Rose making sure to put on her doe eyes to good use. 

Tommy could not help but let out a little laugh. "You really know how to get what you want. Trust me, my dear, I have other things in store for you tonight."

After finishing the champagne, Tommy linked his arm around Rose's and walked her towards an old couple. "These two are big donors for the Institute, so I am obliged to chat them up. Don't say anything unless you are spoken to, and keep everything vague. Do not reveal anything about yourself."

What if someone asks me what I do? What do I say?"

"I'll intervene if necessary. Take it from me; these people are snobs and most likely won't ask you much. Don't take it personally," Tommy reassured Rose. She understood the process as she had been to these types of functions before.

It was an hour of making the rounds with guests, and Rose was already bored. She could see the boredom on Tommy's face as well. "Not to be rude, but how long until we can leave?" Rose asked. Her feet were beginning to hurt.

"We still have dinner, plus I have to make a little spiel in front of everyone. This thing goes until ten o'clock, but be should be out of here by nine."

Rose nodded and proceeded to look around the room. While the décor was lovely, the whole vibe felt mundane. Granted, she understood why Tommy was holding the event; to raise money. A couple of days ago, Rose took the time to research the Grace Shelby Institute, a Shelby Company Foundation subsection. There were different Institutes around England, with different goals for helping others. For instance, one provided a safe space for domestic abuse victims and their children, while another focused-on homelessness (from veterans to teens). The new Institute in Galway. This led you down the Grace Shelby rabbit hole. 

For Rose, Grace seemed like an incredible woman who wanted to give back to others in need. Not only was the woman beautiful, but she had a heart of gold to match. It was no surprise that someone like Tommy fell for Grace. She was the ideal woman and the perfect "trophy wife," so to speak. However, Rose could tell that Grace meant so much more to Tommy than merely arm candy. Grace was his everything. The mother of his son and the love of his life. Rose almost felt guilty being in such a "relationship" with Tommy, but it was a job. A job that provided decent money. Rose figured she would have a couple of months with Tommy before he got too busy or bored and would look to find someone else to spend his time with. 

Before Rose knew it, she was ushered to a table where Tommy pulled out her chair for her to sit. She saw there were other people at the table and politely smiled at them, which was returned. Dinner went by fast, thank God, with minimal conversation. Most people at the table veered for Tommy's attention, and Rose had to admit that the man was good when he was "on" and had to "friend raise" as her boss would say. 

With 15 minutes to spare until 9, Tommy stood up from the table and made his way to the podium. There was nothing too groundbreaking in Tommy's speech. Rose could tell it the standard speech he would give at these types of events. While Tommy managed to come across heartfelt about Grace, something was lacking. There was no "oomph" to his words, nothing that stuck or memorable. 

After the standard applause to Tommy's speech, he walked straight towards Rose, who was already standing up and walking towards him.

"Are we done?" Rose whispered.

"Were done. Let's get out of here. Quick, before someone wants to talk to me," Tommy uttered and led you out of the event hall, towards the car, and off to his home for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say, but that the next chapter will detail Rose and Tommy’s time at his place.


	7. Earned It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy takes Rose back to his place after the gala for some fun and much-needed stress relief. He continues to pry more into Rose's personal life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: This chapter is very smutty. Male receiving. Female receiving. Bondage. Flogging. 
> 
> I am still getting used to writing smut. I hope I did this chapter justice. I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.

* * *

The drive to Tommy's home was quiet. Rose looked out the window as they entered the upscale London neighborhood. The homes were beautiful. Before Tommy pulled the car into his underground garage, Rose could make out the spacious townhouse. With the car in park, Rose stepped out and saw a full view of the other vehicles in the garage.

"Wow," she said, noting the different set of cars, which ranged from Audis to BMWs, to a Lexus. "You actually drive all of these cars?"

"The Audi is new. Haven't tested it out properly yet," Tommy shrugged and grabbed Rose's hand to lead her to the elevator that would take them up to the townhouse.

The main part of the home was exquisite. Tommy's tastes were immaculate. Everything was so elegant and fancy, from the furniture to the art on the wall. However, Rose could tell that this wasn't a home that was "lived in" but rather that it was more for a show of Tommy's status and wealth. Everything was white and too clean. Nothing was out of place. It was all too designed. Nothing homey about Tommy's home, which didn't quite surprise Rose.

"Fancy something to drink before we start?" Tommy asked, lighting a cigarette. Rose turned to him and asked for a whisky, no ice. "Take a seat. I will be right back," he instructed Rose.

She sat on the couch and continued to look around the home. No family pictures insight, which was weird to Rose. With all its elegance and pageantry, this home was empty of any happiness or warmth.

When Tommy returned with their drinks, he sat down next to Rose on the couch. While Tommy practically downed his drink, Rose took small sips.

"Let's talk," spoke Tommy. It definitely was not a question but more of an order. He leaned back on the couch, and Rose repeated his actions.

"What do you want to talk about?" Rose asked, continuing to take small sips of her whiskey, which was really good. Unquestionably high-quality whiskey in Tommy's collection.

"You. If that is okay?"

Rose quirked an eyebrow. "What do you want to know about that you haven't looked into yourself?"

"Why did you leave Blackpool?"

"There was nothing there for me," Rose responded rather quickly, Tommy noted.

"Your parents still live in Blackpool," he noted. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No. Only child. I'm sure my parents wish they had more since I turned out to be such a disappointment. Not only did the Turners' only child have to get pregnant at sixteen, but she's a whore to boot. Yeah, they won that jackpot."

"Don't get down on yourself. You made a nice life for yourself and your son. Not many people can say that," Tommy reassured Rose.

"I guess so. This isn't exactly the career I had in mind, you know. I got…I needed a way to make a living without relying on my parents or Louis's father. The job I have at New City College never paid enough."

Tommy took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke. "What does your son think you do to bring in money? There is no way a part-time job as a program assistant at New City College provides enough."

"It doesn't. He thinks I work as a full-time Program Manager at the College. He will never find out what I actually do. Never. It would destroy him."

"What about your son's father? Is he still around?" Tommy inquired.

"He's around. Not much, but he stops by unannounced every so often. Louis's dad, Nick, keeps asking me to marry him. He's been asking since I got pregnant all those years ago," she revealed.

"Sounds noble of him. Why do you keep turning him down?"

"Because I don't love Nick, and he isn't exactly a good person. He has gotten into trouble. Petty crime. Some jail time. He says he has cleaned up his act, but I can't risk it, you know. Louis is still so attached to him. My son is the one I worry about getting his heart broken in all of this if his dad and I didn't work out. Which I already know we won't," Rose shared with Tommy. "You knew about Nick, didn't you? I mean, you looked into my life and my son's life. There is no reason why you wouldn't do the same to the man who got me pregnant at sixteen years old. You have too many assets to protect. You have this inquisitive need to know about everything and everyone to protect yourself. The last thing Tommy Shelby would ever want is to be blindsided. Am I right?"

Tommy downed the rest of his whiskey and loudly placed it on the coffee table with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Get undress," he ordered Rose cheekily and sat deep on the couch.

"Did I hit a nerve, Mr. Shelby?" Rose teased while starting with her shoes. "The questioning stops when I turn the tables on you, huh."

When Rose got her shoes off, she asked Tommy to help unzip the back of the dress. He did so but made sure to graze his hand against her back. 

With the dress off, Rose was standing in her fancy bra and underwear that Tommy purchased. He reached for Rose and guided her on his lap. Cupping Rose's breasts, Tommy gave them a hard squeeze and ran his hands down to her ass. Rose leaned in to capture Tommy's lips while running her own hands up his chest. She pulled off his suspenders and untucked his shirt.

"Just rip it off," Tommy ordered, "I can get a new one."

Ripping his shirt open, Rose tossed it off to the side. Tommy lifted his arms for Rose to take off his undershirt. Now completely shirtless, Rose began placing kisses all over Tommy's chest and grinding against his hard cock.

She got off his lap and got down on her knees. Rose unzipped his pants and reached inside for his cock. She began stroking it up and down and licked the precum off the tip. Tommy let out a moan that echoed throughout the room.

Soon, Rose engulfed his length into her mouth and began to bob her head up and down his shaft. It wasn't long before Tommy blew his load in her mouth, which she happily swallowed.

Before Rose could bring her mouth around him again, Tommy held her off.

"Wait," blurted Tommy while tucking himself back in his pants. For a moment, Rose was confused until Tommy mentioned taking it upstairs. She got off of the floor to him quickly and followed him. He led Rose into one of the several guest bedrooms. She saw her overnight bag in the corner. Tommy proceeded to lock the door, then close the blinds.

Reaching for Rose, Tommy wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his forehead against her own. "Tell me the words before we start?"

"Green for go. Yellow to slow down. Red for stop," Rose recited to Tommy.

"Don't ever hesitate to say Red or Yellow if anything becomes too much for you, yeah," Tommy uttered and unclipped Rose's bra and pulled down her underwear. "It has been a long day, love. I need to release all my pent-up stress and frustrations. Let me take it out on your beautiful body. Would you grant that wish, love?" Tommy asked. He wanted Rose's consent. He wanted to make sure she was okay with what he hand in store for her.

"Yes, Tommy. I consent," she replied and began to unbuckle his belt. However, Tommy stopped Rose and ordered her to the bed. She did just that and saw Tommy retreat to the closet.

When Tommy returned, he had a black duffle bag placed on the floor next to the bed. She saw he pulled out leather cuffs, a ball gag, and a Hitachi vibrator. He took cuffs and attached them to her wrists and ankles. He then got out some rope and tied each wrist to the headboard and the ankles to the end of the bed.

"You feel okay," Tommy asked, checking the ropes to make sure they were secure. "Use your words," he added when Rose only nodded her reply.

"I feel good," she answered while flexing her wrist and ankles in the cuffs to test them out.

Before Tommy got to the ball gag or Hitachi, he placed himself between Rose's legs and began rubbing his thumb along her clit. "It doesn't take much to get you wet, does it," he teased as Rose continued to grind against his thumb. He then leaned forward to trace his tongue along her folds.

The feeling of Tommy's tongue made Rose buck her hips off the bed. Tommy chuckled and used his free hand to place on her stomach to keep her in place.

When Rose was about to reach her peak, Tommy pulled away and wiped her residue from his face. She saw Tommy grab the Hitachi and bring it closer to her pussy. He spread her folds once again, placed the vibrator against her clit, and turned it on.

Starting in a low setting, Rose began moving along the vibrator to offset the sensation she felt. Whenever she was about the reach that sweet feeling of release, Tommy would pull the vibrator away. Rose would only groan in frustration. She knew Tommy was going to prolong her suffering for a while.

This continued until Rose started feeling tears sting her eyes. Tommy clicked off the vibrator once again and grabbed the extra rope that was nearby. He kept the vibrator on Rose's pussy but proceeded to tie it in place with the rope. He gave the sex toy a nice tug to make sure it stayed in place, then got off the bed. Tommy took the ball gag in his hands.

"Open," he directed Rose and placed the gag in her mouth. He secured it tightly around her head and ran his hand alongside her cheek, neck, and down to her breasts. He continued to roam her body until he reached the Hitachi and clicked it on. This time to a high setting.

"I need you to suffer for me, Rose. I need it. I crave it," Tommy began to say, "I'm going to allow you to have all the orgasms you want. I want to watch the tears stream down your face when it begins to hurt. I want to hear your muffled screams begging for me to turn the vibrator off. I want it all. So, I'm going to sit back and watch you suffer for me."

There was nothing Rose could do but endure all the pain and pleasure Tommy gave her. So, she lay there on the bed, restrained, gagged, and made to cum over and over while Tommy merely sat back and watched.

When the vibrator was switched back to its low setting, Rose opened her eyes to see Tommy standing by the bed. She could barely make out what was in his hand. It wasn't until Rose felt a stinging sensation on her stomach that she realized it was a flogger. A leather flogger from the looks of it. Tommy kept bringing it down across her breasts, stomach, thighs, and legs. He did this repeatedly, and all Rose could do was endure it.

Tommy loved the way Rose's body squirmed under the vibrator and now the flogger.

"So pretty," he said while tracing the deep red marks along her body. "Like beautiful ribbons all along your body."

After a few more hits with the flogger, Tommy put it away and upped the speed on the vibrator once again.

Rose couldn't tell how much time had passed, but by her fifth or was it sixth orgasm, everything hurt.

"That's it, love. You're almost done. I need one more out of you," Tommy encouraged as he caressed Rose's cheek while wiping away the tears. "You're doing so good," he added.

By the final orgasm, Rose let out a loud, muffled scream. Tommy turned off the vibrator, and she passed out on the bed. He took out the ball gag from Rose's mouth and wiped the excess drool from her chin. Tommy untied the vibrator from Rose's leg and unhooked the cuffs from her ankles and wrists. He began to rub back the circulation in her joints slowly. He then gently rubbed an herbal balm cream on the areas he flogged to help the irritated skin. The feeling of the cream being rubbed into her skin was soothing for Rose as she continued to lie on the bed and get her breathing under control. The session was intense but pleasurable for her. She hadn't felt that good in a long time. Yeah, it hurt, but it was a good hurt.

"How are you feeling?" Tommy asked, lying down next to Rose and wrapped his arms around her. She slowly turned more towards him to tuck herself closer to his chest.

"Good. Tired," Rose managed to say.

"Rest now, love. You've earned it."


	8. No Such Thing As Good News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose wakes up the morning after the gala and her night with Tommy. She meets Isiah Jesus, who takes her back home. Tommy wants to know more about Louis. We find out that Alfie continues to be a double-crossing little shit. Our favorite Italian mobster catches wind of Tommy taking away his favorite “toy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter was fun to write and brings a lot of new plot development to the story. 
> 
> Italics represent past conversations. 
> 
> I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.
> 
> Warnings: Swearing

* * *

The remainder of the night was not a quiet or restful one for Rose. No, Tommy still had needs that he wanted to be met. While the first session was the most intense, the rest after were a tad tamer. Well, as tame as it came when dealing with Tommy Shelby. It was like the man didn’t have the words soft and slow in his vocabulary. Rose noted that when it came to actual sex with Tommy, everything had to be fast and hard. He seemed to take great pleasure in prolonging Rose’s orgasm or retreating just when she was at her peak. It was a long, drawn-out game for Tommy. 

Tommy had Rose on her back, stomach, knees, and on top of him. For a man who was a notorious chain smoker, his stamina was off the charts. He seemed to finally wear himself out by 3 p.m. With Rose on her stomach and head tucked into the pillow, she was quickly falling asleep. She could feel the light caress of Tommy’s hand up-and-down her back. It was as if the gentle act were lulling him to sleep, and soon Rose could hear his soft snores. 

Rose opened her eyes to look at the man sleeping next to her. With the room dark, she could only vaguely make out Tommy’s features. She was able to see a hint of softness to him as he soundly slept. Turning over on her side, Rose pulled up the blankets and fell asleep.

By morning, Rose was awoken by the curtains being drawn back. The blinding sunlight permeated the room. “What the bloody Hell,” Rose groaned and covered her face with the pillow. “It’s too bright.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss,” spoke a female voice. “Here, let me close them a little.”

Uncovering her head, Rose looked to see what looked to be a housekeeper in the bedroom. 

“Hi, I’m Rose,” she introduced herself to the older woman who appeared to have a friendly disposition. 

“Hello, I’m Annie. Mr. Shelby’s housekeeper. I apologize for walking in on you. Must have slipped Mr. Shelby’s mind when he left for work this morning.”

“What! He’s gone? What time is it?” Rose asked, looking for a clock.

“It’s ten in the morning, dear. Would you like me to fix you some coffee or tea?” Annie asked sweetly. 

Rose was about to get up but realized she was still naked. She could not believe she overslept or that Tommy left without any sense of ‘goodbye’ or ‘see you later.’

“No, thank you. I…if you don’t mind, need to take a shower. Then I will be on my way.”

Annie nodded her head and left Rose alone in the guest bedroom. With the door shut, Rose tossed the covers off of her and grabbed her to-go bag. She pulled out her toiletries, some underwear, socks, a bra, along with jeans and a t-shirt. She also hauled out her running shoes and tossed them on the floor. 

For a guest bedroom, the bathroom was huge with a standing tub and walk-in shower. If Rose didn’t have somewhere else to be, she would have opted for a bubble bath. Looking at herself in the mirror, Rose traced every bruise, love bite, and red marks that were plastered over her body. 

“He always leaves his mark,” Rose said to herself. She turned on the shower and stepped inside.

The hot water helped ease the soreness Rose was feeling all throughout her body. She lightly washed away any dried fluids that were left on her. Rose more than noticed the soreness between her legs, which would take a while to subside.

When Rose was finished showering, she dried herself and put on her clothes. She did one more look around to make sure she had everything, sent off a quick text to Louis letting him know she was okay and headed downstairs.

Annie warmly greeted her, “I hung up your dress by the door. It is inside the garment cover. I put your shoes in there as well.” 

“Thank you. I appreciate that very much. Uh, when did Mr. Shelby leave this morning?”

“The same time he always does, about six o’clock,” the housekeeper answered. “He told me to let you sleep in, but I was unaware of which room you would be in.”

“Yeah, yeah, look, I have to get going,” said Rose and retrieved the garment bag. She slung her to-go back over her shoulder and walked outside the townhouse.

Before Rose could head down the street towards the Tube, an unknown voice called out to get her attention.

“Ms. Turner,” said the voice.

Rose turned around to see a young black man leaning next to a car. She had seen him around previously outside of her house or place of work. Rose suspected this was one of Tommy’s guys he ordered to look after her. 

“Yes. What do you want?” she asked, not moving.

“Mr. Shelby told me that you would need a ride back home. I’m Isiah Jesus,” he said, extending his hand out. When he noticed that Rose’s hands were full, he offered to take her garment bag.

“Thank you. I guess you won’t need directions to my house since I have seen you around,” she said, walking to the car. 

Isiah opened the trunk and put in Rose’s belongings, and ushered to the backseat door, but Rose cut in, saying, “Do you mind if I sit in the front seat?”

“Not a problem, mam,” replied Isiah with a smile and opened the passenger door for Rose.

The ride back home was quiet except for the sound of music coming from the car stereo. To cut the quietness, Rose decided to speak up. “How long have you worked for Tommy?”

“For a long time,” Isiah answered.

“How old are you?”

Isiah laughed, “I’m 21, mam.”

“Okay, you’re sweet, but knock it off with the whole ‘mam’ thing. Call me Rose, okay.”

“As you wish, Rose. My family, well, my father to be exact, has known the Shelby’s a long time. My father’s family immigrated from the Caribbean to England. He met Tommy, Arthur, and John while serving during the War in Afghanistan back in 2006,” Isiah shared and went on, “It was not the time to be over there, that is for sure. The arrival of the British soldiers in the southern province of Helmand was met with violence from the reviving Taliban. The Afghanis made sure to let our soldiers know that they were not welcomed over there. My dad, his name is Jeremiah, did not come back the same after that, neither did Tommy or his brothers.”

Rose could not believe this young man was telling her all of this, such revealing information. It all started making more sense to her with Tommy’s behavior. He had all of the signs of someone living with post-traumatic stress. And then top it off with his wife, the person he most likely felt comfortable and vulnerable around, diagnosed unexpectedly with cancers, and then dying. No wonder Tommy was the way he was.

“Wait, your dad is Jeremiah Jesus?”

“Yeah,” Isiah responded, looking over at Rose.

“I have seen him on the news lately. He leads many of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations,” noted Rose.

Isiah beamed with pride, “That would be him. He’s amazing. Definitely the type of voice and leader we need right now.”

“Yeah, my son has become more socially active at school and around our community. It is a good thing. I want him to be aware of his privileges and use them for good causes,” Rose responded fondly. 

When Isiah pulled into Rose’s neighborhood, he parked the car in front of her house. Both got out of the car, and Isiah helped retrieve Rose’s belongings from the trunk. 

“Thank you, Isiah, for driving me home. It was nice not having to take the Tube.”

“No problem, Rose. It is my job, after all. I have to get back to London, but someone will be around to look over your house. Have a nice rest of your day,” said Isiah and tipped his hat to Rose, and retreated back to the car.

Rose walked up to the front door to unlock it and went inside her home. In the car, Isiah pulled out his phone to call Tommy. By the second ring, Tommy picked it up. “She home?” he asked.

“Yes, Tommy, she is just walked in her house right now,” replied Isiah, looking over at the house. 

“Okay, good. Once Darren shows up, you can leave,” Tommy instructed Isiah.

“Will do, Tom.”

* * *

Hanging up the phone, Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose and took in a deep breath. When he let it out, he sat back down at his desk. Truth be told, Tommy did feel bad leaving Rose to wake up alone that morning. But he had to get to work. He knew she needed the rest from the previous night. Tommy did not know why, but when he was with Rose, he became a different person. It was as if he felt freer. More relaxed. More willing to pursue his darker desires than he ever had before. The way Tommy was with Rose, he was never like that with Lizzie. 

He was not quite sure what made the two women different. Lizzie, he noticed she would never push back, never quite challenge him. With Rose, he could see there was a fire in her. Tommy especially noticed it last night when she turned the tables on him during his line of questioning. For a second, she caught him off guard but managed to recover quickly. Rose was also more open to his sexual fantasies, whereas Lizzie was never that hardcore. Yes, he and Lizzie would experiment with role-playing or bondage, but it was never to the level he had with Rose. 

There was something about Rose that Tommy could not quite put his finger on. While he knew most everything about the woman, he still felt that he didn’t “know her.” That feeling bothered him. He was a man who liked to know everything about everyone and anything. Rose’s son was a factor that he did not know much about. 

According to information Tommy gathered, Louis was sixteen years old and attended public school. His birthday was July 3, 2003. He currently was in his 11th year at school, with next year being he would enter as a lower 6th. While his grades were decent, he was active with after-school sports like football or basketball. All in all, Tommy needed to determine if Rose’s son was a liability. He needed to meet the kid himself to determine if that was a fact.

* * *

Once Rose settled down at home, she opened her laptop and looked through her work email. Rose’s boss, Linda, wouldn’t be in the office today. She had to take her husband to a doctor’s appointment. So Rose knew she could get away with not physically being in the office that morning. However, Rose did not foresee herself oversleeping and missing much of the day’s work. She emailed Linda, letting her know that she was not feeling well that morning. Thankfully, Linda believed Rose and told her to rest up. 

What caught Rose off guard was when Linda mentioned how beautiful she looked last night. 

‘What the fuck,’ Rose said to herself, confused. She reached for her phone and saw the mass of text messages from friends and even her mother, Pam. All wrote how gorgeous she looked at the gala and congratulated her on “bagging” Tommy Shelby. The text from her mother stood out amongst the rest. Pam said she wanted to see Rose and Louis and planned to make a London trip sometime soon. Nothing indicating if Rose’s dad, Geoffrey, would join Pam on the trip. While Rose’s relationship with her mother was somewhat cordial, her relationship with her father was practically non-existent. Geoffrey more than let it be known that he wanted nothing to do with his daughter or grandson. It was one of the big reasons why Rose left Blackpool.

Against Rose’s better judgment, she googled Tommy Shelby. Low and behold, there was an array of articles about him with the mystery woman from last night’s gala, with pictures to boot. A part of her knew this would happen but didn’t quite expect this much attention from her friends, boss, or mother. Thankfully, news in England never lasted longer than 24 hours. Soon, a new shiny toy would be dangled in the face of the nation, and Rose would, literally, be yesterday’s news. She only had about a couple more hours to wait until more important and titillating news came along. 

* * *

With a slam of his fist to the desk, Luca Changretta was more than upset. He was angry once he caught sight of the pictures. Luca thought Alfie Solomons was lying when he said that Tommy Shelby had taken something from the Italian mobster. The Jewish gangster never quite stated what it was that Tommy had taken.

_“Trust me, mate. You will find out soon enough, eh,” Alfie told Luca over the phone a while back._

_“You better not be fucking with me, Solomons. I know you enjoy playing games with Tommy, but I am no fool,” Luca sneered into the phone._

_Alfie just laughed, “I’m not fucking with you. No, I wouldn’t do that to ya. I think our boy Tommy needs a reminder of his place. The lad has gotten a bit too big for his britches. Good ol’ Tom thinks he can take anything he wants with no consequences.”_

_“Again, Solomons, why should I care what Tommy Shelby does?”_

_“Well, come Thursday morning, be sure to check the London news. Then you will see. Be sure to call me when you do,” Alfie instructed and hung up the phone._

Luca’s first instinct was to brush Alfie off. The man was always playing tricks. However, there was a part of Luca that was intrigued to find out what Alfie was talking about. The pictures of Tommy with Rose infuriated Luca so much that all he saw was red. Blood red. Blood that needed to be spilled. 


End file.
